Cheap cars

Funky styling, decent engines and, of course, a cheap car to buy, the Fiat Panda has a lot going for it. The space on offer is quite impressive for such a small car, it’s cheap to buy and run and has loads of style and character.

The SEAT Mii is identical to the Up and Citigo so there’s no surprise that it features on this list of the best cheap cars. Choosing between the three cars will be down to the your personal preference but be sure take a close look at the carwow discounts on offer to see which car works out the cheapest.

The Volkswagen Up is the cheapest VW you can buy, but still has the high-quality, well-put-together interior you expect from the brand. Sure, it’s not as cheap as the very similar Skoda Citigo, but if you want a cheap new car with a VW badge on the front, the Up is the car for you.

The Hyundai i10 is a great cheap car. For its modest size on the outside, it’s spacious inside – especially for passengers in the back seats. Its engines aren’t its strongest point but you could be willing to forgive that when carwow discounts are in four figures.

The Skoda Citigo is the best cheap car on sale thanks to its big-car features and low running costs. It’s a practical car too, and the fact that it is cheaper than similar SEAT and Volkswagen cars is an added bonus. Bargain!

The Suzuki Celerio’s a cheap small car that’s roomier than most alternatives and is economical too. But its interior feels dated and you get very little equipment as standard. Still, unlike some alternatives, you can fit three passengers on the back seat.

The Dacia Sandero is the cheapest new car you can buy. It is bigger than every similarly priced alternative and while it is not the last word in style or quality, it is decent enough and comfortable. There are better cars out there, but none as cheap as this.

Just like the MX-5 and Fiat 124 Spider, you’ll see that the Subaru BRZ is virtually identical to the Toyota GT86. The Subaru has a lower list price than the Toyota but keep a close on on the carwow savings to see which car works out to be the cheapest sports car.

Under the skin, the Fiat 124 Spider is pretty similar to the Mazda MX-5 so you shouldn’t be surprised that it makes this list of the best cheap sports cars. It features a different engine line up to the MX-5 but it’s still fun to drive and is, of course, similarly cheap to buy.

The Toyota GT86 is amazing to drive, being light and agile. It has a pretty good interior too and when you factor in the carwow discounts you can get - thousands of pounds off the list price - this is a cheap sports car bargain.

The Audi TT strikes an excellent balance between being fantastic to drive and gorgeous to look at. Sure, it's not the cheapest option, but when you take into account the discounts you can get through carwow it looks better value, especially with those Audi rings on the grille.

Pound-for-pound there isn’t a better cheap sports car than the Mazda MX-5. It’s lightweight, has great engines and is well equipped, too. Sure, its practicality is limited by being just a two-seater convertible, but it’s an amazing sports car when you consider the cheap price and carwow average saving.

This is an electric version of the VW Up, so it has the same smart, well-built interior of the conventional petrol version. It’s a good bit more expensive than the standard Up too. It scrapes into this list of cheap electric cars thanks to the generous savings you can get through carwow.

You like the look of the Smart ForTwo but need a cheap electric car with four seats? Step this way to find out more about the Smart ForFour Electric Drive. It is not quite as spacious as the Renault Zoe but if you’re struck by the Smart’s looks, the ForFour is the practical choice.

Not only is the Renault Zoe a cheap electric car, it’s one of the best electric cars on sale full stop.. It is well-equipped, cheap to run and when you take a look at the average carwow savings available on the Zoe, it really is an electric car bargain.

If you’re looking for a tiny electric car that’ll take the city in its stride then the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive is definitely worth a look. It is one of the cheapest electric cars on sale and so could be the perfect commuter car – but only if you don’t need back seats.

The SEAT Ibiza makes a great cheap first car thanks to its easy controls, perky engines and good visibility. Its small size makes it dead easy to drive in town and it’s big enough for two of your mates to sit in the back seats.

The Ford Fiesta ticks many of the best cheap first car boxes. It’s relatively cheap to insure, it’s economical and is packed with high-tech kit that young drivers will love. Keep an on carwow discounts to make sure you buy your first car at the best possible price.

The Volkswagen Polo is a small car that’s comfortable to drive and has a spacious, plush interior. Once you've passed your test, the VW Polo feels big and secure enough for you not to feel intimidated on the motorway. Factor in carwow discounts and it should prove to be an excellent cheap first car.

For such a small car, the Skoda Citigo has a surprisingly practical interior that’s spacious enough to carry you and your three best mates. Inexpensive to buy and run and simple to drive, the Skoda Citigo easily tops this list of cheap first cars.

The main advantage of the Hyundai i10 over the Volkswagen Up is that four of your mates can join you in the Hyundai. It’s easy to drive around town and a five-year warranty should keep those important running costs down. All-in-all, the Hyundai i10 is a worthy cheap first car.

The Ssangyong Tivoli is a cheap SUV that's reasonably spacious and comes with a decent amount of kit. It's not at all fun to drive though, and interior quality is disappointing.

The Nissan Juke comes with an eye-catching cabin and a range of perky engines. It’s not the most practical choice, but when you take into account carwow discounts it becomes a cheap SUV to consider.

The Renault Captur is a relatively cheap SUV that is stylish, well equipped and has a decent amount on interior space. Stay away from the top-spec models and you've got yourself a good-looking cheap SUV.

The Suzuki Vitara is a small cheap SUV that looks good and has loads of room for your passengers. It doesn’t have the nicest interior, though, but it is surprisingly good fun to drive.

The Dacia Duster is an exceptionally cheap SUV that’s significantly more spacious than many cars you can get for the same money. But entry-level models come with barely any equipment at all.

The Ford Fiesta is cheap to run, but also fun to drive. Fitted with a 85bhp 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine, the Fiesta can average up to 88.3mpg. It is roomy enough for a family of four, so it’s practical too.

The Nissan Micra is another small car that costs buttons to run – it will officially return up to 88.3mpg when fitted with Nissan’s 91hp 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine. It’s impressively quiet and comfortable for a small car.

The Peugeot 208 is our clear winner if you’re after a car that’s cheap to run – it can return fuel economy of 94.2mpg when fitted with Peugeot’s 75hp 1.6-litre BlueHDi diesel engine. It’s smart-looking inside, can carry four people at a squeeze and has a boot that can easily swallow a family’s weekly shop.

The Smart Fortwo is available with an excellent six-speed automatic gearbox that gives it nippy acceleration, making an ideal cheap automatic car to cut through city traffic. It’s tiny (it only has two seats) so you can squeeze into parking spaces other cars can’t.

The Kia Picanto is another cheap automatic car that proves cheap can also be cheerful. It has distinctive looks, five doors and you’ll be able to squeeze four adults in the cabin and some shopping in the boot. It can come with a four-speed automatic gearbox to take the pain out of city driving.

The Hyundai i10 is a brilliant cheap automatic car. It has the practicality of five doors and somehow manages to offer just enough space for four adults. It has a four-speed automatic gearbox that doesn’t suffer the jerkiness you experience in most small automatic cars.

The Nissan Qashqai has been a high-selling car for years, so with plenty of choice it makes a great cheap used car because prices are kept low. Its SUV-style body makes it spacious and gives you a brilliant view over other traffic, but its economical engines mean it costs barely any more to run than a normal car.

The Skoda Octavia is an excellent cheap used car. Its Volkswagen parts should prove extremely durable and the Octavia offers you lots of space for the money – it’ll easily accommodate four tall adults and its boot is large enough for a fortnight’s worth of luggage.

The SEAT Ibiza is a great buy if you’re looking for a cheap used car. It’s built using proven VW parts but without the price premium you would pay for a Volkswagen. It has space for four tall adults and has a boot big enough for a family’s luggage.

The Hyundai Ioniq is a great choice if you’re looking for a cheap hybrid car. Its interior has room for four adults and you also get a large boot. Its hybrid drivetrain makes it very cheap to run and its light controls and automatic gearbox make it very easy to drive.

If you’re looking for a cheap hybrid car then the Toyota Auris Hybrid fits the bill. It feels solidly built and has space for four adults, even if alternatives have bigger boots. Thanks to its hybrid set-up, fuel economy of around 60mpg should be possible in the real world.

The Toyota Yaris Hybrid is an excellent cheap hybrid car. It has smart styling and a well-built interior, with room for four people and a boot big enough for the weekly shop. It’s a very easy car to drive and its hybrid powertrain means it is cheap to run too.

If you want a cheap convertible sports car then they don’t come better than the Mazda MX-5. Choose it and you have to put up with having a small boot and only two seats, but you’ll be rewarded with a stylish car that’s nippy and pin-sharp in corners. Big smiles don’t come cheaper.

The Fiat 500C is a cheap convertible that oozes cool retro styling and has a fabric roof that rolls back electrically in seconds. The 500C’s interior is as cool as its exterior but although the folding roof barely eats into boot space, you’ll still struggle to fit more than the weekly shop.

The Citroen C1 Airscape is an ideal choice if you’re looking for a cheap convertible. Its rollback fabric roof opens electrically so you can have the wind in your hair in seconds. In every other way, it’s the same as a standard Citroen C1.